Once Upon a Time: Mother Knows Best

Real-world announcement: Josh Dallas and Ginnifer Goodwin are dating. I don't know how many times I've said it before, once every other review maybe, but I called this and it is putting a smile on my face every time I think of Once Upon a Time. I'm not a shipper, I swear. I just make shoebox dioramas of Josh Dallas and Ginnifer Goodwin having breakfast together. IT HURTS NO ONE. As if the mere fact that Josh Dallas is living his dream and Snow White and Prince Charming are, at least, bumping noses off screen isn't enough, last night's episode systematically dismantled every single one of my complaints about Once Upon a Time. Pinch, me, am I dreaming? This show just fixed its damn self. First:

Hell yes, Emma finally found a ponytail holder, and she looks great! The only Sheriff who wears false eyelashes to work finally got some of that ten pounds of hair out of her face. YES.

Second: Emma came to a moment in her life when she realized she does not know when people are lying. She said it out loud! Maybe it was drinking those roofies last week or maybe Kitsis and Horowitz have been reading these reviews, but if that's so, then Kitsis and Horowitz: Some of my commenters deserve a writing credit because that is all we have been saying these last few weeks.

Third: Emma is finally picking up that book and reading it.

AND Emma's doing detective work! Okay, someone had to remind her to do the detective work, but I'll take it. Also, Gus Fring's impassioned speech of lies cracked me up. Lies told in hats are adorable.

When he came in that sporty hat and trench coat carrying those fake tulips from Michael's, I started grinding my teeth immediately. He was the one responsible for looking up phone records and doing the actual police work? Little did I realize by the time the episode was over that Emma would discover that he'd been playing her like a violin with long, blonde curls.

And most importantly, Regina came out as a straight-up villain to Mary Margaret, telling her she knew damn well she didn't kill Kathryn, she just wanted to watch her squirm. She even squeezed MM's little cheeks!

I am kissing my fingertips like a happy chef right now. I am fanning my hands toward the TV screen and pretending to smell the aroma and going, "Eeetsa good, theeese sauce, no?" because these are perfect choices. For Mary Margaret to come to the moment when she realizes Regina is a sociopath is the first REAL step forward Once Upon a Time has taken since the pilot, basically. And we finally learned what pissed Regina off so hard in the first place. It all dates back to when she was a young equestrienne (like seriously, she looked YOUNG—Lana Parilla can pull off 19 with her hair down), whose mother did not approve of all the bareback riding she was doing.

The key to Regina's evilness, apparently, is a domineering mother. A domineering, mentally abusive, physically abusive, and magically abusive mother.

Like, that is an inappropriate way to discipline your full-grown, adult child. Also, wasn't she wearing exactly the costume of the Evil, domineering "love is weakness" mom from The 10th Kingdom?

Regina saved the child Snow White on a runaway horse.

Well, first she saved the stunt double on a horse, but then when child Snow White whipped that little head around I was like, "WTF?"

Immediately I assumed that they'd wrapped a green-screen ski mask around some kid's head and CGI'd Ginnifer Goodwin's face but smaller onto that ish, but after looking it up, apparently Bailee Madison is a real person. I would not be surprised if she is a cousin/little sister to Ginnifer Goodwin because the similarity—the facial shape, the eyebrows, the mannerisms—was shocking, with one small difference: The baby Snow White was kind of sinister. Maybe it was that whole "uncanny valley" thing because she looked so much like Ginnifer Goodwin, but I'd swear halfway through her lines she was about to start growling. I need to stop picking on child actors, clearly they unnerve me, that's MY Problem. She did a great job. Please don't climb under my car and then shoot out and bite my ankles, Bailee Madison.

This episode gave Regina and Snow a solid backstory, one in which Snow White was for all intents and purposes blameless, yet still could be construed (by someone selfish and hateful) as a bit of a traitor. After Regina saved Snow White, the King proposed.

WHY NOT? Knowing someone you propose to can actually be a downer, I've heard. Then Snow White, after having almost been killed while riding a horse, decided to go to the stables for a midnight ride and saw Regina kissing her true love, stable boy David Bowie.

Regina swore her to secrecy, explaining—and maybe I am making some leaps here, because they certainly never said it explicitly, so this is just me taking a stab at what the show is about—that love is the greatest magic of all. It creates happiness. Okay I'm being sarcastic but seriously, I am okay with that message. It sure beats the message of say, Unforgettable ("remembering things sucks but is helpful"). And Snow White seemed pretty chill about Regina not being into her middle-aged father.

Later, fearing Regina was going to lose her mother (the way Snow White had lost hers), Snow White told Regina's crazy mother that Regina wanted to marry David Bowie.

Bad move, okay, but she was deceived by how nice Regina's mother appeared to be and let's face it, kids suck at keeping secrets. They're not supposed to keep secrets! There is a reason kids are not spies, is what I'm trying to say.

That led rather quickly into Regina's mom ripping the effing heart out of David Bowie.

And telling Regina all love is weakness?! Man, that sucks, Regina. Super sorry. There is no love like stable boy-love. They have got wicked thighs. And who didn't love David in Labyrinth?

What makes Regina almost hilariously maniacal is that when she found out Snow White had leaked her secret, she flicked a psycho switch and decided to just quietly plot against a child for the next 10 and then 28 years. Like, she's a kid, Regina, I think the real blame for David Bowie's heart getting ripped out lies at the feet of your magically abusive mother, the one who did the literal ripping.

Especially since Regina figured out Barbara Hershey had basically set up the whole rescue/meet cute with Snow in the first place. The villain here is clearly Regina's mom, but she transferred it all onto a kid. I guess that's part of what makes her a villain, and it's enough of a backstory for me.

August finally justified his existence by goading Emma into some futile police work, although I had to laugh about her sitting on a damp dock reading a newspaper. She has an apartment! Why is she sitting out in the cold fog reading? I wonder if she sometimes misses her salad days of thumbing rides from truckers and getting her prison ink retouched. Like maybe in another five minutes if August wasn't going to show up, she would have laid down and thrown the newspaper over and grabbed a few winks.

Luckily August reminding her to do her job uncovered incriminating evidence that linked Regina to the crime scene, so now Emma can't doubt Mary Margaret's innocence, which: awesome. By the end of the episode she was way into her new hipster sidekick, and then we got the hottest game-changer so far: Kathryn is alive! I am wondering how the writers are going to do this, since I think they confirmed the heart's DNA was Kathryn's? How Regina is going to explain this one is seriously a cliffhanger. Y'all can cancel that trial!

Also, I think a while ago I mentioned that we needed a scene of just Lana and Robert squaring off across a table. We got like, three of those this week, and an explanation of how Robert got out of jail (striking a deal with Regina to frame Mary Margaret) which doubled as an explanation of how the skeleton key got into the jail cell. What day is this, boy? "Why, 'tis Christmas Day, Mum!" Well, it FEELS like Christmas. This episode was a gift, that's for sure.

Once Upon a Time has cleared away a lot of bothersome s-c-h-t-u-f-f and now I am so back on board, if this show were a horse I'd be riding it bareback. Well done, Once Upon a Time. Once again, I cannot wait until next Sunday.

QUESTIONS:

– Josh and Ginnifer!!!! Forevs?!?!!?

– How are the writers going to explain Kathryn being alive? Where has she been?

– August in the promos, he's come for the knife—is he Rumpel's son?

– PONYTAIL HOLDER! Can we hope for a haircut, or should we just be grateful?

– Regina's backstory: Team Regina or Team Snow?

– Did your mom ever magically abuse you with purple lightning clouds?

– What would you rather watch: 10th Kingdom, Labyrinth, or the first season of OUaT?

– The next time something good happens will you whisper to yourself, "WE GOT HER, DANIEL, WE GOT HER"?

Has anyone considered that the DNA test results could have been faked? Just thought I'd share that to spark a new debate. Be sure to remember how much power Regina has and how she influenced everything else in this case.

Also, I was floored at Lana's Benjamin Button routine. Surely that wasn't just a lack of harsh makeup and some very forgiving lighting? CGI of some sort?

And then there was mini-Ginni, giving me the creeps (OMG I heard the growling too! I thought I recognized her from Supernatural, but it was House, so who knows) so bad I just stared at her until I convinced myself she was Goodwin's little sister & let it go. But she's not . . . She's not . . .

As to Katheryn, easy: the heart was in one of Regina's boxes, same as the Big Bad Wolf's. He was walking, talking, & hella wearing Sheriff vests while heartless, so I jut figure that Gold scrambled her brains for a while, while Regina planted the heart she already had et viola!

I forgot a couple things. (I wish we could edit posts.) I thought young Snow White was so adorable I felt like adopting her myself. Regina must have really lost it to plot against such an innocent creature. Bailee Madison would be a perfect casting choise even if she didn't look so much like Ginnifer Goodwin.

As for adult Snow, I never liked her very much. Mary Margaret is bland and insipid. Adult Snow White is better, but she's not as interesting as the Evil Queen. I think the production I'd like to see (TV show or movie) would be Lana Parilla as the Evil Queen and Lily Collins as Snow White, just to mix the TV show and the movie.

I'm head over heels for Lana Parilla. When I thought she was doing a terrific job, she positively surprised me even more. She was adorably sweet as a much sweeter younger self navely defending her psycho-mom. And the reason why Regina simply flipped a crazy switch and all of a sudden became all cynical and started plotting against little Snow White was a crucial moment. It indicated she lost it right there. The death of her younger "David Bowie" knock-off stable boy was the straw that broke the magic camel's back.

But I think Regina only became really evil in a later moment, when she got rid of her mother. Rumpelstilskin had already warned Charming that if Snow killed Regina, Snow would become as evil as Regina. So, Regina must've killed her cuckoo mother, so becoming as evil as she was. Too bad for her the opposite is not true. When Regina killed her sweet and gentle father, she didn't become good all of a sudden.

What's the deal with Lily and hair. Leave Emma's mane alone! In Alcatraz, Sarah Jones, a very beautiful woman, cut her hair short to play Rebecca, a police officer. As a result she didn't look her best and instead was plain and boring. I'm all for big hair!

Lana Parilla was smokin' hot as young, sweet Regina. Very impressive change in character and age. Also - holy cow that was great casting for young Snow White! I thought they used a time machine to go back and get a little Ginnifer Goodwin to play herself as a young girl.

Kathryn turned up, so the logical next step is to immediately release MM (no dead person, no murder charges). Also, find out who rigged the DNA test results (Or was it magic? Or another fabrication from Gus Fring, seeing how he does all of Emma's detective work for her?).

Didn't see the promo for next week, my recording cut off early. Is it online somewhere (it's not at Hulu)?

I don't believe that Regina made a full transference of blame from evil mom to Snow White (but she certainly is fixated on Snow). She had to also exact revenge on dear ol' mom at some point. Hope we get to see that soon....

Nice to see they finally smartened up Emma (somewhat). Someone else must be doing the writing now.

I spent all day at work imagining conversations between Jared, Rumplestiltskin, and Darkness (Tim Curry's character from "Legend"- the guy with the horns) which took place in some goth bar where they served absinthe, Saurian brandy, and sorcerous-looking drinks that fizzed and steamed.

Regina hating on Snow totally makes sense. Instead of hating on Snow, Regina should just write a book and name it "Mommie Dearest ". But most people are like her, they like to have someone to blame but they can never blame the actual person who did it.

-How adorable. I resent how uber girly and teenybopper-ish I got, but I'll admit it...Josh and Ginnifer speculation had me...amused. So kudos for calling it.

- Apparently walking the desolate streets of StonyBrooke's unshown rough part of town pushing a shopping cart past dilapidated buildings? I don't know! I don't really care! I just love how AWESOME it was!

- Be grateful. The ponytail holder and straight hair is enough for me. I bet poor Jennifer got a stiff neck trying to balance the unbeweavable extensions they piled up on her from those leftovers piling up on the floor at the feet of one of those Toddler in Tiara types.

- Team Snow. Who plots against a 10 yr old outside of Macauley Culkin in The Good Son?

This was simply awesome. I'm so happy that Emma finally got her head on straight and no longer trusts Sydney. I love August...I really do. He's fastly becoming one of my favorite characters with all of his mystique. It did annoy me when he was pretty much saying that Emma should trust him. Why August? She met you like two days ago and knows nothing about you! The scene with MM and Regina was just intense and wrought with tension and emotion and fabulousness. And of course anytime Regina and Gold can share the screen it's going to be...well, golden! Kudos to Lana who really could pull off 19. That woman is flawlessly beautiful!

HA! Crafting abuse! I love it! I want to see a special on it. Some kid with his fingers stuck together with wood glue and crackle paint or a girl who cut her gums on the googly eyes her mom put on her toothbrush.

Lana is gorgeous, and I'm warming up to August, although they need to knock it off with that hipster neckerchief he keeps sliding up into his jacket. I know he likes to motorcycle and what not but above it hipster and earnest fairy tales do not mix.

Either they are hitting us over the head that August is Pinocchio with this clue or they are trying to lead us off track. Shin splints --> splinters --> boy made of wood. Who might just be made of the same enchanted wood that saved Emma and that magic stayed with him when he turned into a real boy. The timeline does not line up for August to be Rumple's son. Baelfire is long dead by the time the curse is cast. If Cora is the miller's daughter from the original Rump tale (and she is pushing 60 in this episode + the time it takes Snow to grow up and get preggers) that puts Bael in his 60s at least. And another commenter noted that Gepetto's parents are turned into those creepy dolls by Rump's potion but Gepetto is quite old when the curse is cast. I just don't see how August is anyone but Pinocchio - they keep dropping clues (the endless "I would never lie" stuff) and it would piss me off if they were dragging a carrot for us to follow and then hit us over the head with some absurd answer like, "He is a Grimm brother with bad calf circulation and an intense need to tell the truth."

Yes, that's a really good point, his little injury. Maybe it will be related to his escape as a boy from Rumpel's house or in some way identify him as Rumpel's son? Either that or maybe he used to be a really tall fairy tale character?? IDK...

But why do you root for this Douche + Granny, ehm Dallas + Goodwin "romance"? All right, I like Ginnifer but the Charming dude - no way.

Yes way to August and Emma! He seems to be good for her, first the hair and know more brains - yeaah!!!

Plus: all team Regina now - she lost young David Bowie(who is also occasional on Nikita BTW) 'cause of a stupid kid. She coulda handled her mom, but that backstabbin of Snows was just to much to react to. And her loving father? Where was he when needed? Watching Poker ? Pfui, what a douche! Regina is the good person here, I was having an inner Reichsparteitag when she "manhandled" MM, grinning like a beautiful "Parilla"-Joker.

But I didn't really buy into Regina's hate against Snow, as that was a really nice girl she liked at the beginning and who did something wrong without even knowing it. I can understand it to some degree but that amount of hate she displays towards Snow I don't buy. I would like to see a follow up with Regina's mother though. I would have understood it if Regina hated her even before she killed her boyfriend. After I would understand pretty much anything Regina does to her mother. But Snow? Well I guess my reaction would have been to get away from that child as far as possible to forget not marry into her family and do what the person who just killed my big love wanted me to do.

Then again maybe there wasn't so much hate at this point towards snow. Hate can grow over time and maybe Snow getting together with Charming, and getting the happiness that was denied to Regina because of Snow's mistake pushed her hate to that heights.

I guess we'll see. BTW. How many episodes will this season have anyway?

I was impressed with Lana Parilla in this episode. She played the kind and sweet Regina in great contrast to the evil queen version. In particular was at the end when she found out that Snow had broken her promise and she flipped from one to the other perfectly. It was like she flipped a switch. Great acting from her here.

I freaking called it! Kathryn's alive! I knew that was going to happen. This was a great episode. Although the fact that Regina is a sociopath might just explain how she can blame a little kid for her mother ripping the heart out of her lover. That just killed me. I freaking called that too! I'm on a damn roll. Anywho, this was a good ep, explaining where the hell Kathryn's been is not something I can guess (I'm calling Kathryn having amnesia) but after watching the promo for next weeks ep, I know we're getting more Rumplestiltskin action, and more August action. I do happen to think that August is Baelfire, but I can't be certain. Of course I'm grateful for Emma's scrunchie. (cheers) A real cop wouldn't leave their hair down all the time for crying out loud. I'm Team Snow all the way. Regina's freaking crazy, but that's no wonder with her crazy abusive mother. But we did get some expo. Regina's mother was the Miller's daughter? She made the deals with Rumplestiltskin dude! Come on people brush up on your fairytales! Talk about a controlling mother, I knew she reminded me of the evil queen from 10th Kingdom (I loved that show) I don't know what I'd rather watch because season 1 of OUaT hasn't ended yet (15th of May is the last episode of the season apparently from online rumours) But it's a toss up between OUaT and The 10th Kingdom because I watched Labyrinth so many times as a kid I can quote it. (No really) Also the most abusive thing my mother did to me as a child was take all my books for a month (talk about hardcore grounding) I totally love the Evil queen mum discipline. When I have kids, I'll show them that ep and say "Be grateful I don't have magical powers bitches!" LOL! Can't wait for next week.

LOL! At least Emma;s hair wouldn't be all over the place. Believe it or not, here in England the velvet scrunchie is back, People buy them like crazy, but I don't really like them.

I just heard about the three week haitus. (cries) They can't do this to me! (cries more)

You never know what the writers will come up with, so I still think Rumple just hid Katryn in his cabin in the woods and she's going to have convenient plot point amnesia.

I'm still trying to figure out how the curse is going to be broken. Apparently, according to interviews it's so simple we're all gonna think we're stupid for not realising it sooner. The trouble is that I hate to think simply. LOL! Have you got any theories?

My theory on the curse's end: I think it will be when Emma kisses Henry (not romantically, but still true love's kiss). I figure in the later seasons he will be old enough to drive a car, he will get in an accident, and Emma will rush to the hospital. He will be pronounced dead or something really dramatic, and for the first time she will let her hard-ass routine fall away and kiss her child goodbye. And the curse will be broken, Henry will reanimate, and everyone will have their happy ending.

Many here have asked why Regina holds such a grudge against MM rather than her mother. Certainly the love/hate factors in but that is the nature of a pschopath. Very well described below. Actually, these traits fit more than one Storybrooke resident....

Sorry, guys, but none of this is from the DSM-IV. Nor does Regina fit the DMS-IV criteria for antisocial personality, as there needs to be evidence of a pre-existing conduct disorder prior to age 15 (which may or may not have been present). Truth is, this 'big reveal' is no more psychologically compelling than the shift in King (whats his name?) Regina's husband's personality, in the episode about the genie, when he shifts in a giga-second from 'I'm the happy benefactor of all existence' to 'imprison the bee-atch for having a fantasy about another man'.

Personally, I am again finding this show entertaining. My guess is that audience share is continuing to decline for a variety of reasons, but I hope that the show has earned a second season. Regarding this long awaited episode, kudos as always to great acting and superb casting. But the motivation for Regina's subsequent behavior is hollow. And there ain't nothing in the DSM-IV that'll fix that.

Oh brother!! OK, first, you are correct in that this is NOT from thr DSM -IV. It is the Hare Psychopathy Checklist

My bad for not listing the source.

second, I never said this was to be a cognative diagnosis. Only a LIST OF PSYCHOPATHIC TRAITS.

In contemporary research and clinical practice, Robert D. Hare's Psychopathy Checklist, Revised (PCL-R) is the psycho-diagnostic tool most commonly used to assess psychopathy

The two factors are nonetheless highly correlated and there are strong indications they do result from a single underlying disorder.

However, research has failed to replicate the two-factor model in female samples.

"Truth is, this 'big reveal' is no more psychologically compelling than the shift in King (whats his name?) "

Seriously??? You are comparing witnessing the physical act of a mother removing the heart from a teenager's first love to an adult woman's(traumatized in youth) fantasy being discovered by a her husband of convience??

I have serious doubts about your"truth" and would ask to see mmmm 5 minimum, board-certified psychologist or other professional testimonials before bowing to your "truth".

Again, this was NOT a posting for clinical diagnoses, only a list of traits of psychopathy.

Chas, to borrow a line from SNL, 'simma down'. We're all in the same sandbox here. I do understand why many people are drawn to speculate about psychiatric disorders they do, after all, help explain the broad range of human behavior, and we all have a right to be interested in that. (You probably won't, for instance, see as much forum discussion on what type of dermatological condition makes Rumple sparkly :-) What concerns me about mistaking psychiatric diagnosis for a spectator sport is simply that it oversimplifies the complexity of the folks who actually carry the very heavy, very un-fun, diagnoses under discussion.

If Regina was accurately written, from a diagnostic perspective, as a true sociopath or a pathological narcissist, the character wouldn't be much fun to watch. Anyone reading this who has worked in a psychiatric hospital or a prison knows that, unlike watching a TV show about these settings, the first thing you do when coming to work is NOT to make a bowl of popcorn and put your feet up to passively watch the fun.

So let's hear it for fictional license! Regina is an amalgamate, not limited to actual diagnostics, and this is part of what makes her character so engaging. (Hey, she has to be a trend setter, as there is currently no ICD-10 code for 'Yep, I Really Am The Evil-Yet-Tragically-Traumatized Queen' :-)

To get back to the intent of my original posting, I do think that Regina's motives for her ongoing vendetta could have SO easily been much more compelling and worthy of her character. Yet, overall, I have genuinely enjoyed the last several episodes. Thus far, I haven't been able to leave Storybrooke, and I hope that Regina and Rumpel can continue their machinations for a second season.

Nothing I've written needed self-righteous indignation for posting. What is posted is a valid list of character TRAITS that fit the actor's presentation of that character.

"Actually, these traits fit more than one Storybrooke resident...." Hence, this qualifying statement.

TRAITS being the key word here NOT diagnosis or inference of a specific malady.

"What concerns me about mistaking psychiatric diagnosis for a spectator sport is simply that it oversimplifies the complexity of the folks who actually carry the very heavy, ..."

My only "DIAGNOSIS" is that Lana Parralla has far exceeded the role she was given and nothing more. I have stated previously in other posts here that I originally believed that an actor is only as good as the tools they are given. Some actors have shown me(as I also stated) that that is NOT the case here.

Having written the original coding for ICD-9 automation(the model still in use today for DSM-IV), I am more than familar with the diagnostic tools that could have been listed. THAT was not my intent and is not relavent to your comments.

" To get back to the intent of my original posting..."

The only intent I find in your comments is to tell me not to do something I never did....state a diagnosis.

First of all, can you make a shoe diorama of me and my hubby seating on the varanda of a dreamy lake house sipping hot cocoa and listening to a private concert of Damien Rice while Chef Raymond Blanc is cooking some great stuff back in the kitchen for us?? Can you? Please Lily! Please!!!

Ok, I'll take your silence as a yes (big smile in face)

1. Josh & Ginnifer were meant to be together, you called it, but if I was the ex-wife, I would be pissed at you for making it happen! (I'll stick to the theory that your dioramas can come true)

2. Idk, like FringeFanatic said, Graham was walking without a heart too.

3.Don't know, didnt see the promos :(

4. AMEN for that ponytail, let's just be gratefull and don't kinx it now shall we...

5. Team Snow 4eva!

6. Not my mom, but my dad used to make all my boyfriends magically disappear, he had some talent there.

7. Never seen those other 2 shoes, so OUaT

8. Yes, let's make it the next cool thing, We got them Lily! We got them!!!

Haaa! Diorama commissions! Love it. Bailee Madison is something very special, I wonder if she freaks Ginnifer Goodwin out on set or if they got along so well they were finishing each other's sentences and moving in unison. If you haven't seen 10th Kingdom, find a friend who has it and borrow it, its like a mini series version of once upon a time, albeit a little sillier.

I thought it was a really good episode, moved the whole story line forward and we finally found out about the queens conflict with snow. i mean I can understand the agriness but a grudge for so long is a lot. Also liked mr hipster in this and still love regina and ruplestilskin

The only fail in the episode was the fact that there was only about 10 seconds of Red. Other than that, I loved it. The casting of young Snow was perfect. I immediately recognized her as the girl in Just Go With It and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, but her resemblance to Ginnifer is uncanny. Casting gets an A+, especially since Bailee seems to be in high demand right now with 5 movies coming out in the next year or so.

I know, right? And is it just me or is she a freakishly great actor?!! I saw her cameo in Law and Order, SVU and it was just amazing! Of course, the fact that she can tap into such strong and off kilter emotions kinda makes me wonder about her state of mind..... but oh well, she's good.

Jennifer Morrison and err...blanking on the guy's name who plays Chase in House...but yeah. It was awkward when their characters were still dating even after they called off their real life engagement.

How about Jennifer Carpenter on "Dexter"? She and Michael C. Hall used to be married (now divorced) and NOW they've made her character in love with Dex. Next season must have been/is going to be painful to film (I'm assuming they're already at least halfway through filming).

I really thought Regina was going to kill her mother. Remember when Snow was going to kill Regina, and they said that killing someone with that kind of evil power makes you inherit it? That would have explained why Regina has magic, when she didn't in this episode. Also, it would have been a stronger justification of why she's so CRAZY.

I know Lily mentioned it, but I still can't get over how eerily exact Bailee Madison is to Ginnifer Goodwin. If I didn't know any better I would say she is a little girl clone. Those eyes, man those eyes, scared the shit out of me. The way she talked, the trembling of her lips, and did I mention those eyes!

I just can't get over it. I would love to have been at the casting call for this role. Hundreds of little girls lined up to get their turn. And then Bailee Madison walks in and the casting people's jaws drop to the floor. They'd be like, "Send everybody home! We've found the little girl clone of Ginnifer Goodwin. Sorry folks."

She's scary good. Too good for just one episode. I hope they do a little-snow-white-centric episode.

HOLY MOLY!!! Sorry, Lily, I've been absent from your reviews for a while, time has made a fool of me and I have just caught up today! For all those out there who pay attention to my posts (I am assuming a total count of zero), I want to say that I pretty much have been with Lily front to back on this show. There have been countable missteps. But this sucker just did a knockout punch to the face!!

-I stated in the first couple reviews (when I was up to date along with the show) that I am half in love with Ginnifer Goodwin. So beautiful. That said, Josh and Ginnifer, I can get behind that (though jealously). Also, how pretty will their CHILDREN BE???

-Maybe Regina had a duplicate heart in her catacombs or some crazy stuff like that?

-Rumpel's son. Did NOT occur to me, credit to you Lily, but I am ON BOARD.

-NO!!!!!!! Long hair is so much prettier (and yes, I know that I am not the first guy to say that). It really is. Though I think she looks about 16 times cuter with the ponytail so I am happy with that.

-Team Snow. Though I fully credit Regina's backstory as solid. Remember that she spent HER entire childhood as a physically(assuming here)/verbally/magically/emotionally abused child. And very unfortunately, discuss if you will with psychologists, that's the gift that keeps on giving, and many of the children grow up to treat their children in similar fashions.

-Did my mom ever magically abuse me with purple lightning clouds? I'd rather not talk about it.... The therapist said it was healthier for me to... wait... no... be strong....

-"10th Kingdom" Right now. I know how that one begins-middles-ends and it's pretty solid. OUaT has definite arguments on its side, though, and I am more than willing to admit the possibility of a shifted answer in the future.

-Yes. Only I might say Regina instead of Daniel.

Side notes:

Still very jealous of Mr. Dallas, Ginnifer is way too gorgeous.

Lana Parilla: That girl can ACT. We're so used to her making the villain look good that it was almost a shock to see how innocent and in love she looked. Give that girl a medal. And speaking of girls, holy cow can she still pull of the young look. Props all around to her, make-up, costuming, groundskeeping (why not).

Little Snow: I had the same reaction as you. She is so perfectly cast as Big Snow's younger self that I could have okayed an absolute inability to act because the resemblance is so accurate. But we even got good acting out of her, perfectly played the innocent child. If they do any other shots of young Snow and the casting is not this spot on I will rebel because this was so good.

Regina's Mummy: same costume from 10th Kingdom, was awesome, made me laugh

I have a feeling that Hershey will be back for another flashback. Regina is going to take her revenge on her somehow after the part she played. Chances are she is going to learn all her mother's magic and then pull her heart out.

As for Kathryn, they will possibly state that the test was falsified or try to explain that the heart belongs to a twin who shares the same DNA.

OMG!!!! My mom magically abused me too... Regina is luck she got the purple lightening clouds cuz I got the red! So relieved to finally get that out... "WE GOT HER, DANIEL...WE GOT HER!" Is it possible to be Team Snow & Team Regina? If so, I think I am!

LOL! Me too!! But honestly, I don't think this was just a case of "I wasn't loved the way I wanted to be loved" plight, you know? I mean... Regina's mom gave up so much of her life for power she thought she owned Regina and was living vicariously through her... as in... maybe because Regina was so good her mom thought it was alright to be so bad because Regina was a piece of her too... How many kinds of screwed up is that?!?! So, yeah.... in the end Freud called it first and he's still calling it from the grave, we're just running around in circles mutilating each other emotionally.

David Caruso would vomit watching this show. She has the worst chain of evidence procedures I've ever seen.

"Thanks for handling that piece of crucial evidence, random civilian. I'm sure this won't be an issue if it ever gets to court."

If you're going to set-up a warrant on a fake tip, why not do it the first time you're there, or get Henry to go check his garage. Or get him to watch the shovel, or kill Henry with the shovel too and blame it on Regina!!. You're the worst Emma, the worst.

Also, you're telling me that Regina didn't notice the missing corner of her shovel? And who stores shovel head up if it's not on a rack on the wall? ARG! Worse cop-work than Alcatraz.

Thank you. Why didn't she take a phone picture of the shovel piece? It angered me so much I couldn't go off in the recap or it would have been another 500 words but honestly...shows what Storybrooke gets for hiring a sheriff that's never been to police academy.

Well it does seem like the technology in Storybrooke is all old school. I mean did anyone see MM's phone? That thing needs it's own museum! So it could be that they're just not good enough to have camera phones. LOL!

Not gonna lie... That "Under Pressure" bit totally made me snort. While no episode of the season has been truly bad, the last two episodes have proved that there can be two types of episodes in this show. Good and Effin' EPIC! And this one proved to be in the latter category. If we could have more episodes like this, it will make all the ridiculousness -good ridiculous, mind you- completely worth it.

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